


The Perfect Gift

by Tentaculiferous



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Birthday Presents, Candles, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Established Relationship, F/F, Female Characters, Female Relationships, Female-Centric, Femslash, Fluff, Gift Giving, LGBTQ Female Character, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 11:17:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4833386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tentaculiferous/pseuds/Tentaculiferous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikasa goes on the hunt for the perfect gift for Sasha's birthday. Will she find it before it's too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Perfect Gift

Mikasa stared at the threadbare ends of the red scarf Eren had given her so long ago. It was the most precious material object she owned--all others were meaningless, replaceable, treasured only for their basic instrumental purpose. She treasured the scarf for others reasons--not just because it bestowed warmth, or because it was a nice fashion item. She loved it because of what it meant to her, what it reminded her of, who had given it to her.

Despite what some people thought, the scarf had no romantic value to her. But nonetheless, it was a gift from someone she loved, and it always reminded her of them. 

She wanted Sasha to have something like that, something that she could always look at, hold, clutch in her arms, and think _"Mikasa"_. 

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. The shops in the small town near the trainee camp seemed to hold nothing special, but that wasn't surprising. They were designed to serve soldiers, and soldiers' needs. There was an abundance of weaponry and other military gear, inexpensive food, brothels, and bars but not much in the way of something to hold sentimental value to give your girlfriend. 

Mikasa dismissed the town's offerings after a bare hour of searching. She still had a month before Sasha's birthday, and the trainees would be given their week of summer leave before then. She could find something better in Hermiha.

* * *

She could not find something better in Hermiha. Mikasa walked the shopping district at a brisk face, scanning the storefronts for something that would stand out to her. She'd been in forty shops already. Hermiha had lots more than the little village near the trainee camp, but none of it was right either. 

She'd been in jewelry shops--looked at heaps of beautiful and useless gewgaws. Earrings, necklaces, a bronze cloak clasp of a huntress that she almost bought--but it reminded her more of Sasha than it did of herself, and while Sasha would undoubtedly appreciate it, it wouldn't be that special, and Sasha wasn't the kind of girl who appreciated things that had no purpose other than to be pretty. 

That set her to looking for useful things, practical things. Mikasa peered at new leather boots, at bedrolls, at tooled knife sheaths--but in the end, decided they were _too_ practical--they wouldn't stand out from Sasha's ordinary things at all. Boots were boots, not special. A pretty knife sheath was like any other knife sheath Sasha had--only decorated. 

What did Sasha appreciate above all else? As the answer occurred to her, Mikasa dropped a knife sheath worth a month of a trainee's stipend, and walked off abruptly, leaving the leathersmith cursing behind her. 

Sasha loved _food_ above all else. The beautiful braided ropes of bread, succulent cherry pies sitting on stands, the joints of meat roasting over the spits decadently... all of those would have made her girlfriend shout with glee, her mouth undoubtedly watering to a disturbing extent. 

But even that wouldn't work, Mikasa decided. After staring at a pie for half an hour, leaving the poor baker trembling in anxiety (What did that odd-looking, intense-eyed girl _want_? >) she gave up on the food idea. Food was all well and good, but once you ate it, its usefulness and beauty was over. The memory of it might stick with Sasha forever--Mikasa still had to listen to her drooling and daydreaming over a particularly savory stew Sasha's father had made her when she was six--but it still wouldn't be enough. Mikasa wanted something more tangible, something Sasha could touch and see.

Aimless, completely out of ideas, she wandered into the nearest shop. It turned out to be a chandler's store. Mikasas frowned at the upscale store, beeswax candles of different shapes and sizes, some even dyed different colors, covered nearly every surface in tasteful arrangements. Although Sasha wouldn't turn down a nice candle, they were definitely not special. Even the huntress clasp and the embroidered 3DMG belts ranked higher than a few scented candles. Mikasa turned around to leave.

"Ahh, hello there miss!" called the chandler's wife, Gerta. She was minding the shop, and had just came out of the back storeroom with a box in her hands. She was surprised to see a young soldier in her shop, slim and elegant and frowning. Her customers were usually clergy, the servants of nobility and wealthy families picking up the family candle orders, and the town's prosperous middle class. 

"Can I help you with something today?"

Mikasa turned back to face her reluctantly. "I'm fine, I didn't realize this was a candle shop." she said, ready to be back on her way, on her aimless search once more.

"Well, what are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find the right store." the crafty chandler's wife said. She had relatives among many of the town's merchant class, and if she could direct some business to say, her little brother's lacemaking business, instead of that awful rival of his, she'd do it. 

"I'm not really looking for one kind of store in particular..." Mikasa said.

"Oh? That sounds interesting." Gerta said. 

"See, I'm looking for a gift for someone..." 

"Parent? Sweetheart? Commanding officer?" she asked.

"My girlfriend." Mikasa said, bluntly. 

Oho. That hadn't been what Gerta had been expecting, but who was she to judge the soldiers? If they were going to risk their lives every day to protect the towns, it would be hypocrisy of the highest order to look down on them for who they loved. Plus Gerta was really, really bored of rearranging the candle displays. 

"Maybe some nice jewelry? Most girls love to get something pretty and sparkly for a gift."

"Not Sasha. She's very...practical. She would probably wear it once, and then leave it in a box forever, because the metal might glint in the sun and give her away when she's hunting, or on patrol." 

"So she's a soldier too....hmm." Gerta mused. "Maybe a nice new knife? Or a cloak?" 

"She would like those things." Mikasa admitted. "But those wouldn't be special." 

"It has to be useful then, but not ordinary." Gerta said.  
"Exactly." 

"That's a tough one, dear."

"I know." 

"Maybe you're overthinking it."

"What do you mean?" Mikasa asked. 

"If she loves you, she'll love anything you get for her."

"I know that." Mikasa said, holding back irritation. "But I want to give her something special, something that will always remind her of how much I love her." 

Gerta remained skeptical. "And how long have you been looking for this perfect thing?"

"I came into town this morning, and I've been looking ever since." 

"And your CO is okay with that?" 

"I'm on leave." Mikasa told her. 

"And how often do you get leave?" Gerta asked. 

Mikasa wondered what that had to do with anything. 

"One week in the summer, and one in the winter." she answered. 

"And where is Sasha while you're up here spending all day going through dusty shops?" 

"Back on base." Mikasa was beginning to suspect where this was going.

"So you're spending your only vacation days of the year, not with your girlfriend, but on some quest for the mythical perfect item that will make her happy?" 

"It's not mythical." Mikasa said, fuming. 

"Sounds to me like she'd be a lot happier with her girlfriend than with any belt or brooch you could find." 

Mikasa was done with love advice from some candlemaker's wife. She stormed out of the shop. Gerta just waited there, watching till the last strand of the girl's black hair had disappeared out of sight. She resumed dusting the main counter. 

It wasn't long--maybe five minutes--before the girl was back. She snatched up a box of pretty, snowy white scented candles and slammed the correct amount of money down on the counter, hissing "a quick Thank you" before darting out the door. 

Gerta just laughed and laughed. Young people.

* * *

"Ooooh, candles! How romantic!" Sasha cooed, teasing.

"Do you like them?" Mikasa asked. 

"Of course I like them. We never had anything fancy like these for light when I was growing up--just gross smelly tallow ones we made from pigfat." Sasha said, turning over one of the expensive candles in her hands. 

"Let's say we light these bad boys up and kick Mina and Annie out of the room for the night?" she asked.

"I'm on it." Mikasa said, rising swiftly. 

Getting Annie to leave them the room for the night was never an easy undertaking, but the reward would be worth it. She couldn't wait to see Sasha's body writhing in the soft candlelight. Candles were definitely going on her "Great Presents for Girlfriends" list.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, any feedback is loved!


End file.
